Clamping device for water-jacketed power tubes



Jan. 23, 1934. E. A. LEACH 1,944,748

CLAMPING DEVICE FOR WATER JACKETED POWER TUBES Filed July 13. 1932 "I-Im Inventor:

I EdWaPd A. Leach, b M W His Attowneg.

30 cured to the anode.

Patented Jan. 23, 1934 PATENT OFFICE CLAMPING DEVICE FOR WATER-JACKETED POWER TUBES Edward A. Leach, Schenectady, N. Y., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application July 13, 1932. Serial No. 622,265

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to electric discharge devices which are intended to be operated at high impressed voltages.

Such devices usually consist of a water-cooled anode, a glass tube or sleeve sealed thereto and other parts. In order to maintain the anode cool, there is provided a jacket which surrounds the electrode and which is detachably secured to the latter by means of a flange and clamping arrangement. The clamping arrangement usually consists of a plurality of link members, hinged together and provided with a thumb-screw or other means for applying pressure so that when the thumb-screw is turned in the proper direction, the clamp is tightened and the water jacket rigidly secured to the anode. One of the link members is provided with a jaw piece which clamps down on the upper surface of the flange and since this jaw piece has a relatively long bearing surface across the member, it is necessary that the flange present a true and flat surface to the jaw if rotational strain in the anode is to be avoided when the clamp is tightened. The contacting surfaces of the jaws are maintained in a fixed horizontal position by rigidly positioned pins about which the link members rotate and furthermore, the flange surface against which the clamp members exert pressure is also fixed in position because the flange is rigidly se- Consequently, in order to have the contacting surfaces of the clamping jaws and flange conform closely to one another, accurate machining of the various parts involved and a careful line-up of the clamp and flange must be provided. Taken as a whole, this is an expensive proposition.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved clamp in which certain members of the link arrangement are permitted to move in the horizontal direction so that when the clamp is being tightened, the jaws thereof are able to move and to adjust themselves to the flange surface. The improved clamp thus requires no unusual amount of machining or preliminary adjustment, and when tightened introduces no deleterious strain in the anode flange. My invention therefore provides a cheap, selfadjusting clamping device which produces an effective clamping action.

The invention will be better understood when reference is made to the following specification considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 shows a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of a discharge device provided with the improved clamping artil rangement, and Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken through the upper portion of the water jacket and showing the amount of movement which the clamping jaws have in the horizontal direction. 30

The device shown in the drawing comprises a glass tube or envelope 1 sealed to a thin metal copper sleeve 2 which comprises the upper portion of a hollow anode 3. The anode is closed at the bottom and contains the usual cathode (not 05 shown) and also one or more electrostatic control members (not shown). About the anode, which is usually made of copper, there is a water jacket 4 fabricated of metal, such as copper, and formed as a cylinder which terminates at the bottom in a pipe 5 serving as a water inlet. There is considerable space for the water between the bottom of the anode and the water jacket but the distance between the peripheries of the anode and the jacket is relatively small in order to provide a thin sheet of water which travels upwardly over the anode at a fast rate in order to provide a large cooling effect. The water jacket may be maintained at the proper distance from the anode by means of spacers 6.

The upper end of the water jacket is turned down to a fairly thin cross-section as indicated at '7, and seated on the ledge thus formed, there is a heavy ring or collar member 8 which is provided with a chamber 9 for cooling fluid, as is more clearly shown in Fig. 2. This chamber communicates with an opening formed in a downwardly-extending conduit 10 attached to an outlet pipe 11. The upper end of the collar is turned down for a short distance, as indicated at 12, and the ledge thus formed, supports a large metal cylinder 13 which may be secured to the collar by screws 14. This cylinder terminates in a corona shield 15 and extends over the metal sealing ring 2 and the glass-to-metal joint. The purpose of this metal cylinder and corona shield is to prevent puncture at the seal between the metal and glass members.

The metal ring 8 is provided near its lower edge with a plurality of under-cut grooves 16 which resemble inverted pockets terminating in semicircular surfaces. These grooves extend upwardly in the collar, leaving an overhanging portion or ledge 17 which also has a curvilinear shape. The anode 3 is provided, at the place where the sealing ring 2 joins the main portion of the anode, with an outwardly-extending flange plate 18 which rests on the water jacket and is supported thereby.

The improved clamping mechanism comprises two link members 20, 21 which are rotatably mounted with respect to one another on a horizontal pin 22. The link 21 is provided at the bottom with a hook extension 23 which fits snugly in the groove formed in the collar member 8. This link consists of two arms joined together by a web 24, the web and arms merging into a single member of solid cross-section at the end where the extension 23 is provided. The other link member 26 is of a width slightly less than the distance between the two arms of the member 21 so that it can swing about the pin 22. The upper end of the link 20 terminates in an arcuate jaw member 25 which is adapted to engage the upper surface of the flange 18 when the link members are forced apart. The lower end of the link 20 terminates in a boss 26 which carries a thumb-screw 27 for exercising pressure against the web 24.

It is clear that as the thumb-screw is rotated, the lower end of link 20 is caused to move away from the link 21, rotating on the pin 22, thereby causing the jaw portion 25 to exert pressure on the upper surface of the flange 18. This movement of the link 20 also causes the hook portion 23 of the member 21 to engage firmly with the groove 16. It will be noted that the point from which the downward pressure of the jaws 25 is exerted is at the groove 16 which is almost directly vertically downward from the surface of contact between the jaw and the flange. Consequently, as the thumb-screw 27 is tightened and the link 20 forced outwardly, a pressure is exerted between the water jacket 4 and the flange 18 on the anode, the pressure being exerted in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the anode and water jacket. Pressure exerted in this manner is advantageous in that no rotary movement or other distortional effect is caused between the flange member 18 and the jaw member 25. Moreover, the hook 23 is free to move in a horizontal direction since it is not rigidly secured in the groove 16 and consequently, aligns itself in such a way that the jaw 25 presses downwardly on the flange 18 over its full width, regardless of any initial angularity oruneven space between the jaw and flange surfaces.

The metal cylinder 13 may be provided with cutaway openings of rectangular shape so as to permit the jaws 25 to extend inwardly toward the flange 18. In order that the clamp mechanism may be detachably secured to the water jacket and thereby prevent its being lost, a screw 28 is provided which fits fairly loosely in an opening of corresponding shape out in the link member 21. There is left suilicient space between the upper surface of the screw and the adjacent opening in the member to permit horizontal movement of the link mechanism, but not sumcient space for the hook member 23 to be entirely disengaged from the groove 16 when the clamp is in a loose condition.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In combination, an electric discharge device comprising a vitreous tube and a hollow metal electrode sealed to said tube, a flange secured to said electrode, a water jacket surrounding said electrode and provided with a groove,

means for detachably securing said flange to said water jacket, said means comprising a pair of members rotatably mounted on a common axis, one of said members terminating in a jaw portion and being adapted to contact with said flange, and the other of said members terminating in a portion which engages the said groove on the water jacket, and means for applying pressure to one of the rotatable members whereby one member is rotated with respect to the other member, and the jaw and the said portion which engages said groove are caused to clamp the water jacket and flange together.

2. In combination, an electric discharge device comprising a vitreous tube and a hollow metal electrode sealed to said tube, a flange secured to said electrode, a water jacket surrounding the electrode, a collar secured to said water jacket and provided with projections, means for clamping said collar and flange together, said means comprising a pair of rotatably mounted link members, one of which terminates in a jaw portion and is adapted to contact with said flange, and the other of said members terminating in a portion which engages the projection on said collar but is removable therefrom, and means for applying pressure to one of the link members whereby one member is rotated with respect to the other member, and the jaw and the said portion which engages said projection are caused to clamp the said collar and flange together.

3. In combination, an electric discharge device comprising a vitreous tube and a hollow metal electrode sealed to said tube, a flange secured to said electrode, a water jacket surrounding the electrode, a collar secured to said water jacket, said collar being provided with grooves, an adjustable clamping device for detachably securing said collar to said flange, said clamping device comprising a pair of rotatably mounted link members, one of which terminates in a jaw portion and is adapted to contact with said flange, and the other of said members terminating in a hook portion which engages oneof said grooves, and means for applying pressure to one of the link members whereby one member is rotated with respect to the other member, and the hook and jaw portions of the respective members are caused to clamp the said collar and flange together.

i. In combination, an electric discharge device comprising a glass envelope and a hollow metal electrode sealed to said envelope, a flange secured to said anode, a water jacket surrounding the anode, a collar secured to said water jacket, said collar being provided with grooves, and adjustable clamping device for detachably securing said collar to said flange, said clamping device comprising a pair of rotatably mounted link members, one of which terminates in a jaw portion and is adapted to engage said flange, and the other of said members terminating in a hook portion which engages one of said grooves, and means, comprising a thumb-screw, for applying pressure to one of the link members whereby one member is rotated with respect to the other member, and the jaw and hook portions of the respective members are caused to clamp the said collar and the flange member together, and means for detachably securing the clamp to the water jacket when the clamp is in a loose condition.

EDWARD A. LEACI-I. 

